Daring Baker’s November 2012 Challenge – Cookies –

Our November 2012 Daring Bakers host was Peta from Peta Eats. Perfect challenge to be ready for Christmas holiday. This challenge is so fantastic to prepare with kids.

I made for the first time Whoopie Pies. My daughter and me enjoyed making them. We found this recipe in the magazine Taste of Home “Best loved cookies & Candies”.Whoopie pie is an american cookie called gob, black moon or black-and-white. Amish women invented the black-and-white dessert.  Amish farmers exclaimed “Whoopie” when they found a whoppie pie in their lunch box. However we have more versions of their origin.

Then I decided to make a recipe that Peta proposed us : Double Chocolate Sable Cookies. This recipe is surprising, I made 2 logs with my dough, before cutting 1/2-inch thick rounds! I never made sable like this before. I love the Daring Bakers’ challenge, I always learn a lot, I always learn new techniques. Sable is a french cookie so so Delicious. With a cup of tea, it’s absolutely scrumptious!

Thank you so much Peta for this lovely challenge.

Whoopie Pies

    It’s so easy to make and so fun. The filling is really good, the marsmallow cream mix with confectionners’ sugar is so delicious, Yummy!!!

Serves : 1 1/2  dozen

Ingredients 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 11/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa 
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup buttermilk

Filling

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 cups marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with water and buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inch apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degre F. for 5-7 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat filling ingredients until fluffy. Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with the remaining cookies.

Double Chocolate Sable Cookies

Serves : about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 3 ounces bitterswett chocolate, frozen for 10 minutes
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 5 1/4 ounces (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk

Directions

Grate the chilled chocolate with a fine grater or rasp and set aside.

Whisk together the flour,cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt.

Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Mix in the yolk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat lightly together until just combined but still crumbly. Fold in grated chocolate with a spatula. Bring the dough together by lightly squeezing in your hands; but don’t knead or overwork, as the secret to these cookies is their delicate, sandy texture.

Divide the dough in half. Lay half the dough on a long sheet of waxed paper and shape into a log along the width of the waxed paper, leaving some space at each end. Pull the paper over the top of the log. Grip the edge of the top piece of paper, and use a straight, firm edge, like a ruler or the edge of a pan, to press gently against the edge of the dough where the papers come together to create a solid, firm round log. Repeat with remaining dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (to keep logs round store inside an empty paper towel roll).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchement paper.

Slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds with a sharp, thin knife. Divide rounds onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies smell fragrant with a full cocoa and set on the outside, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans, about 5 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely. Serve.

Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, Baked cookies can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminium foil and frozen for up to 2 weeks.